kiki_miserychic

Strangely, my family broke the tradition of buying gifts for everyone this year. During Thanksgiving we select names for Secret Santa to go along with our usual gift giving, but this year we had a heated argument with one of my sisters complaining that the other sister and her husband give people one present as a couple, which she declared as unbalanced. I should explain that my two sisters are biologically my mother and my aunt, but my grandparents raised me, so I refer to them as my sisters. My sisters who are well beyond an age where whining about the unfairness of Christmas gifts at the dinner table is cute. Try in their early 50s, while I am 27, but we all act 12 when we're together.

This argument occurred in hushed voices as the husband was in the bathroom. My married sister joined in with the complaints, revealing that her husband doesn't contribute to Christmas shopping. This is a second marriage for both of them and they keep their finances separate. Married sister had been bottling up resentment over the years about her husband receiving gifts from everyone in the family along with thanks for the ones he had no part in giving. I'd already picked up things here and there before Thanksgiving, but everyone else wanted to forgo gift giving altogether. The husband returned from the bathroom and was told the new holiday plan of getting together for dinner without the pretense of exchanging gifts. Everyone repeated the previous secret conversation, earning imaginary Oscars. I explained that I always get Dad a gift card for McDonald's because my parents go there before the crack of dawn on Mondays to drink coffee with a group of people from church. Everyone agreed that Mom gives people passive aggressive gifts, attempting control through subtle means. She gives me cooking equipment even though I have no desire to learn cooking, she gives my married sister make up even though she doesn't like wearing it, and she gives my other sister something exercise related (while making thinly veiled comments on how she should be married by her age). Dad admitted that he simply hands everyone wads of cash and puts gas in their car like a full tank fairy godfather.

Days later my married sister sent a text message saying that she'd changed her mind and wanted to do gifts, then sent another an hour later to change it back, then sent one two days later to change it back again. My mom finally put her foot down and said no gifts, but later told me that she'd gotten some gifts already from her and Dad. I asked my sisters, who fessed up to getting gifts as well. The end result will be a Christmas where everyone is getting and giving gifts except for one person. I'm patiently waiting for the moment after dinner when gifts are given out and an awkward silence takes over as everyone else figures out what is happening.

Shot by Robert M. Young and Edward James Olmos on a trip to the heart of the oil spill in the Gulf. Edited by Stephen Cohen.

Robert Young and I jumped on a plane and went to the Gulf of Mexico just to lend our support by documenting what we saw...

Well, the people that we met took up all of our time. It was brutal! I was not ready for the human aspect because no one had prepared me for it.

I thought they would be angry. They are devastated.
Take a look at this video and see for yourself. People are afraid to talk and you will learn why watching this...

Please pass it on, recommend it.

If you feel like doing something, just go down there (anywhere on the Gulf) and support by spending time and energy in the region.

They need our support. Thank you for Caring.
Edward James Olmos

For More information on what some local organizations are doing on the ground go to:

http://SaveOurGulf.org

T: One of my classes this week was about breastfeeding and I'm the only guy in the class, so it's everyone talking about their experiences and I had nothing to add. The rest of them were talking about babies that wouldn't let go and the logistics of breastfeeding in public.

Me: I seriously doubt you've ever breastfed a baby. You used to be a baby, but I hope you don't remember the breastfeeding part.

D: Nothing is the same after having a baby. Nothing.

Me: I saw my stepsister's stuff when she was having her niece.

T: Her niece? Is that possible?

Me: I meant having my niece, which is her daughter.

T: That makes more sense.

Me: It could happen. The only way I'd be pregnant is if I was a surrogate.

T: What do you mean?

Me: My aunt and uncle can't carry children to term, so they could rent my uterus out for 9 months if they wanted.

D: Really?

Me: Yeah, they've been trying for nearly a decade. I'd do it if they asked. It'd just be awkward when people would ask and I'd have to say it was my uncle's baby.

[D and T laugh so hard that D pees pants and has to rush to the bathroom.]